In brief : In the neck

CELLS from the necks of patients with Parkinson's disease could be used to treat their symptoms, a study in Spain suggests.

The disease's tremors and rigidity are caused by the destruction of neurons that produce the brain chemical dopamine. A team led by José López-Barneo at Seville University relieved Parkinson-type symptoms in rats by transplanting certain neck cells into their brains. These cells release dopamine when the blood is low in oxygen.

The cells responded in the same way in the oxygen-poor environment of the brain (Neuron, vol 20, p 197). If this works in humans, transplant therapy could become much more common. Doctors now rely on dopamine cells from aborted fetuses.

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